Final Wrap-ups

It has come to the end of the year, and I have to say that I am disappointed that this class is ending. I had a lot of fun, and I learned so much useful information.  All of the projects and information I learned in this class will definitely travel with me into my future career and allow me to be a more successful teacher. I did not know all of the technological capabilities that I could master. I am so proud of all of the work that I have completed in this class, and I frequently share my projects with others. My website took so much dedication and is a good way to broadcast all of the success I have had in this course. I really enjoyed this class and I wish I could take it again.

Google Sites

Creating my website throughout the semester has been the absolute best part of this course. It was challenging at some points, but was so rewarding when you finally created what you were envisioning. I loved working on my website, and I did it all the time in my spare time. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be using this again whether it be for my students to have their own websites to show off work to their parents or one for my teaching career. I worked so incredibly hard on it and I am very proud of what I have accomplished. With this tool, anything that you are thinking that your website should be, can be.

Here's a link to my website, and I hope that you like it. I have worked so hard on it, and enjoyed myself so much in making it.

https://sites.google.com/site/emoakley526/

Google Docs

Google Docs is such a wonderfully useful web 2.0 tool. It can be used in document collaboration, making a presentation, creating a survey for your students or parents at home, and probably a lot more that I do not even know about. Using this tool as a document collaboration is incredibly handy. I have already used this tool numerous times in my everyday life. It makes it so easy to communicate with people that you might not always see face to face. For example, for my history midterm this year a google doc was started and students from the entire lecture class contributed notes. It was amazingly simple and very helpful. I also used google docs in order to create a survey for my website. It was very easy to make, has so many possible uses, and is very easy to distribute. I definitely plan on using this tool in my future classroom as well as in my future life.

Storybird

I used the Web 2.0 tool story bird in order to make my own interactive story.  It was relatively simple to do, and a very good learning opportunity. Story bird really relies on your use of imagination in order to put a narrative to the art provided. It is a little difficult for a student in my future special education classroom to master, but I think that it would be a fun group activity to do. It was also mentioned that once students create their story, it can be bought by their parents and used as a fundraising tool. I really like that idea because it provides parents an example of their child's technological creativity as well as a look into the classroom. I wish that there was a larger variety of art to use because I feel as though a lot of the art can be classified as rather strange. On top of the lack of child appropriate artwork, story bird was also difficult to arrange the page into a format that you like. While it is a cool, free tool to use in the classroom, it is a little too advanced for the students in elementary school to pursue individually. My idea is to pick the art with the classroom and have brainstorming on the plot, the characters, and the layout of the little book. While this activity will still spark creativeness and knowledge on the components of a story, it is easier for the student to achieve.

Here is an example of the one that I made!


Everyone needs a best friend! by eoakley1 on Storybird

Digital Diagram

In class we learned how to use Inspiration software in order to create a digital diagram. I decided to do first grade social studies, and my topic was on the where people live such as continents, countries, and states. It was at first very difficult for me to find the correct topic to do, and I was feeling very stressed out about it. However, as soon as I had a plan of action the rest was a piece of cake. I made a very simple yet aesthetically pleasing diagram. The software was easy to use and there's a lot of tools that I did not even touch upon. In my future classroom, I think that this software would be really handy to make graphic organizers for the kids to fill in as well as presenting as a summary of material gone over in class. It is the easiest way that I have seen to create a digital diagram, and I plan on using it in my future classroom!!

Here is an example of the one I did in class!

Interactive White Board- ActivInspire

In order to complete the interactive white board activity, I used ActivInspire software. The software was very easy to navigate and ,through some practice, easy to use. I found the tool bar, browsers, and all of the other elements of the program very useful. I plan on using this software in the future since I have now worked with it. I know there is so much more that this program can do that I have not even began to uncover, and I am so excited to discover it. I hope to some day be a pro at it and be able to use it to its fullest abilities in order to make my classroom one that is full of learning and engagement of the students!

Interactive White Board- Uses in the Classroom

The interactive white board has so many uses in the classroom. It turns any only lesson into something that is engaging and so interesting for the students. Previous to this class, I have never had any experiences with this type of technology. My high school is not too keen on technological advancement.  However, I think that this tool is so useful for classes. I really enjoy the fact that students are part of the lesson and can get excited about the material that they are learning. I hope that I am fortunate enough to have an interactive white board for my future special education classroom. I see so many possibilities for it that would really help in the students growing and learning. I will definitely carry this activity with me into my future career!

Mid-point

As the semester is starting to dwindle down, I am becoming more and more confident in my technological abilities. TPTE is my favorite class, and I use things that I learn in here in other aspects of my life. I am really getting the technology that we are learning down and I am confident that I will be able to effectively use these tools in my future classroom. Everything we do in this class is so fun and interesting, and I am really enjoying it. I'm really proud of myself because I came into this class having no confidence in my technology skills, and now I show them off to anyone who will pay attention. This class has really exceeded my expectations.

Scavenger Hunts and Google Presentations

This week in class, my group and I went on a scavenger hunt around campus with our cameras.  Our assignment was to take pictures of different colored things, upload and edit them on the computer, share them online on a picasa album, make a slide show from that album, and then finally make a google presentation of our pictures.  All of the steps were easy, and I will definitely use these tools in my future classroom.  We also learned about copyright laws in class, and I feel as though this is a very good way to not break laws while still keeping class learning interesting.  Google presentations was a very useful tool and very easy to use. If I happen to not have powerpoint in the future, I will definitely remember to use this.  All of these tools on google drive have proven to be very useful, and I am already using them in other aspects of my academic career. I love scavenger hunts, and this was a very fun activity to do. I will be doing some scavenger hunts in my classroom.

What I think about Wikis

We have done a lot of work with wikis this semester, and I really like the tool.  A wiki is basically a document on line that can be changed and modified by anyone allowed to do so.  It is very helpful to do collaborative work with others that you know or even some that you do not.  The wikis are very easy to use and very helpful.  I plan on using wikis in my future career.  I think it will be a really great tool to work with other teachers in my school such as lesson plans, reading list, organization, syllabi, and so much more.  Using a wiki is a lot easier than emailing each other back and forth in order to modify a document.  I have actually already used wikis a few times in my personal life.  It is something that I will keep in my back pocket to use later.

Wordle

Today in class we learned about the web 2.0 tool wordle.  Wordle is basically a program that takes any text that you enter and turns it into an interesting "word web".  It's a very cool tool that allows for a lot of personalization to text that would otherwise be bland.  I can see myself using this in my future classroom.  While probably not for learning activities, it can help liven up a syllabus or a letter sent home to parents.  The only problem that I found with wordle is the issue with not being able to go back to the text.  You can only enter the text and make the web once, if you need to add or delete a word the whole process must be completed again.  Other than that. the tool is very simple and quick to use.  I will definitely be using it in my future  career. Here's an example of one that I did using terms found in the special education world and curriculum!

TimeToast

For my group's project, we were required to investigate and instruct on the web 2.0 tool TimeToast.  TimeToast is an interactive time line that allows individuals to create and personalize their own.  They can be used for organization, lesson plans, and much more. While a useful tool, I unfortunately do not see much use for this tool in my future classroom.  I may be able to use it in order to organize my own lessons or in order to inform parents of the school's academic calendar, but as for teaching my students I do not see it as helpful.  The tool is also a little bit awkward to set up and is not as interesting as other possible tools.  TimeToast does not seem to be the tool for me.

IBA

In class, we researched web quest and made our own. While some of the ideas used are interesting, web quests have no place in my future classroom.  It was very difficult to try to create or find web quests for special education, and was not easily modified.  While some of my future students will be capable of using web quest, I do not like them.  I feel as though while technology is important, my time in the classroom can be much better used allotted to something else. Inquiry based activities can be very informative and fun for upper grade level children while providing the student with valuable technological knowledge.  In my classroom, I would much prefer to use an informative computer game that all of the children can use and take turns using throughout the school day.

Website Evaluation Reflection

We live in a generation centered around the internet and other technologys, but how much do we really know about it? Is it really necessary to check a website before student use? How can I even possibly do that? These were the thoughts and concerned I had before I began my own course evaluation.  I have discovered that it is indeed important.  As the teacher, I need to provide the best, the most accurate, and the funnest websites for my children to use.  It is important to know whether the website can even be used in your classroom dealing with access fees or compatibility and programming problems.  It is also important to make sure that the information that you are providing your children is not some nonsense that someone just made up in order to entertain.  If you as a teacher tell the children that material on a website is true, then there is a very good chance that they will believe it too.  A website evaluation is actually a pretty painless process and can be completed during recess or lunch time.  When evaluating a website, it is crucial to check on the reliability of the author and/or the publishing company.  It is also important to make sure that the material and navigation is compatible with the cognitive abilities of your students.  This lesson on course evaluation helped me understand the steps that are needed to pick out a reliable source, and will definitely be useful in my future classroom!

Here is the website I evaluated, and found to be reliable. Check it out!

What Do I Want Out of TPTE?

I am very interested in the TPTE 486 class that I am currently enrolled in. I am not very efficient at using technology in a beneficial learning environment, and I am very excited to learn how.  By the end of this class, I am hoping that I will have an overview about all of the programs that can possibly be used in my career.  I also hope to master all of the useful tools that are given to me in a way that I can see working for me in the future.  I hope that all of these tools can be used to provide a more technology friendly classroom.  I think that the technology learning techniques I learn in this class will help me be a more innovative and imaginative special education teacher.

Hello All!

Hello everyone,  my name is Elizabeth Oakley.  I'm a junior at the University of Tennessee majoring in Special Education Modified and Comprehensive.  I am from Memphis, Tennessee and I graduated from Collierville High School in 2010. I want to teach because I love working with children, especially disabled children.  I hope that I can make an impact in their lives and spark a love for learning.  My older brother has Down syndrome, and seeing the struggles that he went through in the public school systems makes me want to be able to make a change for the positive. I strive to be able to learn how to involve parents more in the process of their child's learning and providing a strong connection with the home in order for the child to grow. I will be interning in the fall of 2014.  After that, I hope to return to Memphis and get my dream job.  I really enjoy crafting, and that is something that I hope to incorporate into my classroom.  My head is already spinning with ideas to make my classroom a fun and positive learning environment.  I am actually thinking about starting some small crafts for my room now just to keep me motivated through my last two years of school and my internship.  I also love spending a lot of time outside whether it involves swimming, hiking, spending time in the mountains, or whatever else brings me closer to nature.  I love spending time with children.  No matter what is going wrong in my life, the joy of a child can perk me right up. So that's a little bit about me before I begin blogging, and I hope you enjoy!

My dream classroom! (with my own crafts of course)